The Original G-Man of Hip-Hop Today’s rap artists need to take a seat for class is in session with The Original G-Man of Hip Hop as the professor. I thought I knew what Hip Hop was all about, that is before I crossed paths with one of the original Hype Men of Hip Hop. G-Man was a contributing cultivator, one of the foremen, one of the creators of the Hip Hop culture. In order to understand Hip Hop you will have to be educated on how the culture started and what it mean. G-Man was born and raised in New York, New York which is home to Hip Hop. Back in the 1970s the inner city kids of the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, New York would come together to create rhymes to Emcee over beats that echoed from the amps that were set up on stoops and at storefronts. He broke down the term Hip Hop, in which he explained that in the early 1970s the word “Hip” meant popular, cool, or being with the “in” crowd. Back in the 70s era the “Hip” kids would travel to different areas to go to meetings and perform at shows. The “Hip” kids didn’t have the means of transportation to get around, so they usually travel by train. In order to get on trains you have to pay a token at the turnstiles, and since money and tokens were limited the “Hip” kids would “Hop” over the turnstiles to get on the trains to go show off their Emceeing capabilities. It was then the Hip Hop culture came to life and change music forever. G-Man was one of the original hype men in which he rocked the crowds for Hip Hop Artists Rob Base and the late DJ EZ Rock. G-Mann was known for energizing the crowds before the main artists come on the stage. Being one of the inner city kids going to meetings better known as cyphers, Hip Hop was built on the foundation of these three principles: Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding. Today as we look at The BET Awards they have a segment called The Cypher. G-Man stated “Cypher is not being in a room passing around a microphone rapping. Cypher is where all artists in Hip Hop come together and hold a meeting with the intent to uplift and build up communities . Hip Hop is not rapping, rapping is just a way to talk garbage. In Hip Hop you are an Emcee not a rapper. Emcee bring substance, rapping brings abuse” In 1976 G-Man who also went by the stage name MC Friction, was signed to Joey Robinson Jr, CEO of Sugar Hill Gang Empire. G-Man was not only known for igniting life to a crowd, he was also a bodyguard for Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock, several dignitaries, A-List celebrities, and much more. He made it known that he don’t like bullies and it is in his nature to protect others. G-Man was trained by the Navy, Army, Marines, and Air force so that he would fully possess full capabilities to dismantle any jeopardous situation that may arise when protecting another human life. As Hip Hop music changed into the substance that brought on violence, abuse of women, the sale and abuse of narcotics, G-Man decided to be a full-time bodyguard. Now G-Man is back on the scene to save Hip Hop from these rap artists that make songs with lyrics that spew out violence. G-Man made a statement and I 100% agree with him, “These rappers that make songs talking about how many women they slept with, how much money they made off selling drugs, how many people they killed say they don’t like snitches, but they snitch on themselves through their music. How can you trust a self-snitch?”. He came back to place the Knowledge, Wisdom, and Understanding back into music. He want to use the growing power and wide-spread of Hip Hop to bring back its sole purpose, which is to reach, teach, and uplift communities. G-Man re-emerge with three hit singles that personified the entity of the original Hip Hop culture. “B Where U R” was made in tribute to the late Michael Jackson. “Tuff Luv” spoke of the effect of parents not parenting their kids. “Who Dat Got Yo Bak” is an eye-opener for those to think they know who is for them. G-Man currently helping develop young MCs get rooted in true Hip Hop. Basically Hip Hop music is suppose to convey positive energy and bring forth unity. Hip Hop was a way for inner city kids to cope with life in the projects. Like so many genres of music that was created by people that lived in poverty, Hip Hop was created to celebrate life not destroy it. G-Man definitely taught me a lot and I am forever grateful for his contribution in creating a culture that has spread world-wide.
